This application claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2000-138984 filed in Japan on May 11, 2000, and No. 2000-385620 filed in Japan on Dec. 19, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope, and more particularly to an endoscope system having a lamp, which supplies illumination light to an illumination optical system for the purpose of observation, incorporated in an endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic endoscope systems are widely used in the medical field or in the industrial field alike. In particular, the electronic endoscope system used in the medical field has an elongated insertion member inserted into a patient""s body cavity for the purpose of observation, diagnosis, or treatment of an organ. Various ideas have been implemented for fear that a patient""s body may be damaged in case a malfunction occurs during use.
In a typical electronic endoscope system, a lamp incorporated in a light source apparatus is lit, and light emitted from the lamp is converged at an illumination light connector formed on an electronic endoscope (hereinafter an endoscope) using a condenser. The converged light is propagated into the distal part of the endoscope over a light guide that lies through the endoscope. Illumination light is then irradiated to an object through an illumination lens.
A view image of the object illuminated by the illumination light is projected on the imaging surface of a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD after passed through an observation lens located in the distal part of the endoscope. Power or a driving pulse is applied to the CCD incorporated in the distal part of the endoscope over a cable lying through an insertion member thereof. An image signal into which an optical image is photoelectrically converted by the CCD is converted into a video signal by a video processor that is an external apparatus, and outputted to a display device. Various data items including a date and a management serial number which are entered at a keyboard connected to the video processor is displayed together with an endoscopic view image on the screen of the display device.
The insertion member of the endoscope is inserted into a body cavity through the patient""s mouth or anus. The thickness of the insertion member is restricted in consideration of inserting smoothness. Moreover, an amount of illumination light that is emitted to an object is attenuated to be smaller than an amount of light emitted from the lamp incorporated in the light source apparatus because of the properties of the light guide including the material thereof. Therefore, a large-power lamp is incorporated in the light source apparatus in order to supply an amount of light that is large enough to cause no obstacle to observation even if an amount of light gets attenuated.
In general, the large-power lamp dissipates a large amount of heat. Since the lamp is stowed in the housing of the light source apparatus that defines a closed space, the light source apparatus has a cooling means such as an air blower or a vent. Thus, the temperature in the housing is lowered to the temperature at which electronic circuits incorporated in the housing can operate normally.
However, if the air blower malfunctions or the vent is blocked due to some reason, cooling is not performed normally. The temperature in the housing of the light source apparatus rises to exceed the temperature stipulated in the specifications for the electronic endoscope system. Consequently, the electronic circuits may malfunction.
Therefore, a temperature detecting means is incorporated in the housing. If the temperature at the lamp or in the housing is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the lamp is put out in order to prevent the temperature in the housing from exceeding the predetermined value.
Moreover, there is a fear that when the service life of the lamp has completed its span, the lamp incorporated in the light source apparatus may operate abnormally. As long as the lamp is a halogen lamp, the abnormality of the lamp stems from disconnection or deposition of a tungsten filament, and brings about a drop of current or voltage supplied or applied to the lamp. If the lamp exhibits such an abnormality, the lamp may be put out or may emit only a small amount of light. Consequently, since an amount of illumination light that is large enough to observe an object cannot be obtained, observation cannot be continued any longer.
According to a solution described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-192238, a plurality of lamps is incorporated in a light source apparatus and the lamps other than a used lamp are put on standby. If a used lamp operates abnormally, the used lamp is changed to a standby lamp. The standby lamp is lit in order to continue observation.
However, when lamps are arranged to be interchangeable, after one lamp is changed to another lamp, the new lamp may not be located at a right position at which light emanating from the lamp is converged on a condenser. In this case, there arises a fear that light emanating from the lamp may not be fully converged on the condenser and an amount of illumination light that is large enough to observe an object may not be supplied.
Aside from the drawback that disables observation, there is a fear that the temperature at the lamp or in the housing of the light source apparatus may rise abnormally. This is because when a lamp to be lit is changed to another, the position of a heating source changes and cooling efficiency changes.
In efforts to overcome the drawbacks, a position-of-lamp detecting means may be included for sensing if a used lamp is located at a right position. If the position-of-lamp detecting means senses that a lamp is not located at a normal position, the lamp is put out in order to prevent the temperature at the lamp or in the housing of the light source apparatus from rising abnormally.
However, as far as the foregoing light source apparatus is concerned, if the lamp is put out, a user is unaware of the reason why the lamp is put out. Specifically, the lamp may be put out in order to prevent the temperature in the housing from rising because of a malfunction of a cooling means incorporated in the light source apparatus. The lamp may be put out or may emit only a small amount of light because the service life thereof has almost completed its span. Otherwise, since the lamp is not located at a normal position, illumination light is not converged on the condenser. For this reason, the lamp may emit only a small amount of light or may be put out. In either case, an operator lacks an amount of illumination light suitable for observation and cannot help suspending observation.
In efforts to lift the suspension, the operator peruses the operation manual for the endoscope system so as to understand why the lamp is put out or emits only a small amount of light. However, it is time-consuming to peruse the operation manual. This poses a problem in that prompt action cannot be taken and observation cannot be restarted immediately.
The present invention attempts to break through the foregoing situation. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope system capable of notifying a user of the reason why a lamp is put out or emits only a small amount of light, and taking immediate measures to light the lamp normally.
According to the present invention, an endoscope system has a lamp that emits illumination light with which an object is illuminated, and a power supply means that supplies power with which the lamp is lit. The endoscope system includes a condition detecting means and a notifying means. The condition detecting means is provided to or near a lamp and detects a predetermined condition relevant to the lamp. Based on a result of detection performed by the condition detecting means, the notifying means notifies an operator of the state of the lamp.
More preferably, the condition detecting means is a temperature detecting means that detects whether the temperature at or near the lamp is equal to or larger a predetermined value. Otherwise, the condition detecting means is a power detecting means that detects whether current or voltage supplied or applied from the power supply means to the lamp is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.
According to the foregoing components, the notifying means notifies a user of the state of the lamp detected by the temperature detecting means or power detecting means. The user can therefor take prompt action.